Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward electricity generating apparatuses, and particularly, those apparatus that are modular in nature and may be interconnected to form electricity generating assemblies for enhanced electricity production. Additionally, the present application is directed to such modular electricity generating apparatuses as additionally incorporate photovoltaic materials and capabilities to further enhance electricity production.
Description of the Related Art
Electricity generating devices which are powered by wind or passing fluid and which operate via vertical rotor are known within the art. For example a savonius-type rotor generally includes a rotor blade disposed in parallel alignment with the central rotor. Additionally, such rotors only work in a vertical or horizontal position whereby they are typically used as singular structures, with no modular or constructive features. Additionally, efficiency is significantly decreased if the passing fluid is not substantially perpendicular to the foil of such a savonius-type rotor. As such, mounting a savonius-type rotor horizontally or on an incline can lead to significant declines in efficiency of the apparatus.
Additionally, photovoltaic materials and their use in solar panels are known in the art. However, solar panels should be mounted so as to maximize exposure to light. Fixedly mounted solar panels are generally arranged to capture a predetermined range of sunlight, given the solar panel's location on the Earth, but are far from optimal. Solar trackers may be utilized in order to continually reorient the solar panel, but can be expensive and complicated devices.
The present invention addresses these problems, and others known in the art, by providing an electricity generating apparatus, which is both modular and scalable in nature and configured to produce electricity regardless of the wind or fluid direction relative to its central axis and regardless of its orientation relative to the sun. Additionally, the present invention may be utilized as a structural assembly component, thereby providing auxiliary sources of electricity production in locations heretofore not possible, such as, within a truss of a bridge or a tower, supporting enclosed spaces, and the like. Lastly, the present invention is capable of incorporating photovoltaic materials, such as thin-film solar cells, and deploying them effectively without regard to the invention's location on the Earth.